President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on Ugandans to renew their trust in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) by evaluating the party’s performance over the past four decades, saying the party’s legacy is anchored in visible and tangible contributions that have transformed the country.
Addressing thousands of supporters at Rushebeya playground in Rushebeya Sub-County, Rukiga District, President Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential flag bearer, said Ugandans have every reason to vote for NRM because its record is grounded in achievements rather than promises.
“If you support NRM, you’re on the right path because NRM talks about the visible contributions it has made to Uganda,” Museveni said, during his address that centered on peace, development, infrastructure, and wealth creation.
President Museveni placed peace at the top of what he called the “seven contributions of NRM,” arguing that national stability remains the most critical achievement of his government. “What is important is to tell you the seven contributions of NRM, starting with peace. Uganda is peaceful because of NRM,” the President said.
“Yesterday in Kisoro, people spoke about the suffering their neighbours in the DRC continue to face due to insecurity. Ugandans today enjoy stability because of the peace built over the years,” he added, emphasizing that peace has allowed the country to prioritize development, attract investment, and grow the economy.
The President said that when the NRM came into power in 1986, electricity supply in the western region was scarce and unreliable. “When the NRM came into power, this side of Kabale had no electricity from Jinja. The power line stopped in Kasese, and Kabale relied on a small dam at Kariba,” President Museveni explained.
He noted that today, nearly the entire region is connected, with Rukiga boasting four of its six sub-counties on the national grid. “Plans are underway to electrify Bukinda and Mparo sub-counties in the next term,” he said.
Regarding safe water access, President Museveni said he was pleased to learn that Rukiga now has 83% rural safe water coverage, supported by gravity flow schemes, solar-powered irrigation, rainwater harvesting systems, and ongoing sanitation upgrades.
President Museveni also credited the NRM government with transforming Uganda’s road network, particularly linking major regions and border points. “We worked on the road network right from Kampala to Kabale up to the Katuna border. We also did the Kabale–Kisoro Road, then the road from Mbarara–Rukungiri–Kanungu up to Kihiihi,” he said.
In a candid moment, President Museveni addressed the challenges of balancing public expectations and limited government resources. “I need you to help me with one thing—prioritization of resources, and to do one thing at a time, not everything at once,” he said, while defending the government’s decision to increase salaries for science teachers before addressing the demands of arts teachers.
Drawing parallels with the military, he argued that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) prioritizes equipment and welfare over salaries. “In the UPDF, we prioritize equipment and the welfare of soldiers, not salary. They don’t have good houses; they still sleep in grass-thatched homes. In other countries, they prioritize salary first – that is why they can’t defend themselves,” he added.
Environment and Irrigation:
President Museveni praised residents of Rukiga for protecting wetlands and avoiding environmental destruction. “I thank you for not destroying the environment and keeping the swampy areas intact,” he said, promising a major government-funded irrigation project in the swamp to boost agricultural productivity.
“I’m going to start a big project on this swamp to enable you to start irrigation and get good yields like Dr. Muranga of Bushenyi,” the President said, highlighting Dr. Muranga’s success—harvesting 53 tons of bananas per acre annually—as evidence of what irrigation can achieve as opposed to 5 tons harvested by the rest of the people.
The President also urged the people of Rukiga to take advantage of the Parish Development Model (PDM), which he said is designed to lift households out of poverty. Rukiga District has so far received Shs 9.2 billion in PDM funds, with 99.46% of the money disbursed to 9,163 beneficiary households. The district has 29,495 households, meaning only 31% have benefited from PDM so far.
Free Education:
The President said free education in government schools continues to be undermined by head teachers who impose illegal fees on vulnerable families. “When I saw this, I launched the Presidential Skilling Hubs where youths train for free in carpentry, welding, tailoring, hairdressing, baking, leather work, and other practical skills,” he said. He reiterated plans to recruit 5,000 new teachers to reduce the need for schools to charge extra fees to hire additional staff.
Turning to oil discovery, President Museveni said Uganda’s oil discovery was possible because of the NRM government. He assured Ugandans that oil development will drive Uganda’s economy to greater heights.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, also the NRM Second National Vice Chairperson, rallied Rukiga residents to vote overwhelmingly for President Museveni while the Former Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda praised President Museveni’s lifelong service to Uganda.
Presenting the district memorandum, Rukiga NRM Chairperson, reminded the President that in the previous elections, he garnered 81.8% of the votes cast in Rukiga. “We expect at least 90% voter turnout, and we highly believe that more than 90% of these votes will be for His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,” he said.
Mr. Besigye presented several requests to the President, including the need for a district hospital, a technical school, and tarmacking of key roads, including Muhanga–Rwamucucu–Kisiizi and Rutobo–Kamwezi–Kyogo–Muhanga roads.